1997 Houston Cougars football team

1997 Houston Cougars football
1997 Houston Cougars football
Conference	Conference USA
Record	3–8 (2–4 C-USA)
Head coach	Kim Helton (5th season);
Offensive coordinator	Dan Lounsbury (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Gary Bartel (1st season)
Base defense	Multiple 3–4
Captains	Keon Banks; Jay McGuire; Mike Parker;
Home stadium	Houston Astrodome; Robertson Stadium
	Seasons ← 1996 1998 →

The 1997 Houston Cougars football team, also known as the Houston Cougars, Houston, or UH represented the University of Houston in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the 52nd year of season play for Houston. The team was coached by Kim Helton. The team split its home games between the Houston Astrodome and Robertson Stadium for the last season before moving its games exclusively to Robertson Stadium, the 32,000-person capacity stadium on-campus in Houston.

1997 Conference USA football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
No. 19 Southern Miss $	6	–	0	9	–	3
Tulane	5	–	1	7	–	4
East Carolina	4	–	2	5	–	6
Cincinnati	2	–	4	8	–	4
Memphis	2	–	4	4	–	7
Houston	2	–	4	3	–	8
Louisville	0	–	6	1	–	10

$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance	Source
August 30	11:30 am	at No. 16 Alabama*	Legion Field Birmingham, AL	JPS	L 17–42	81,591	^[2]
September 6	2:30 pm	California*	Houston Astrodome Houston, TX	FSN	L 3–35	37,652
September 13	2:00 pm	Pittsburgh*	Robertson Stadium Houston, TX	FSN	L 24–35	17,611
September 27	6:00 pm	at Minnesota*	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Minneapolis, MN		W 45–43	36,447
October 4	5:30 pm	at No. 22 UCLA*	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA	FSW	L 10–66	38,004
October 18		Cincinnati	Robertson Stadium Houston, TX	FSN	W 41–38 ^2OT	14,457
October 25	2:00 pm	at Louisville	Cardinal Stadium Louisville, KY		W 36–22	21,432
November 1		at Memphis	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN		L 3–24	20,181
November 8	2:30 pm	East Carolina	Robertson Stadium Houston, TX		L 27–28	17,051	^[3]
November 15		at Southern Miss	M. M. Roberts Stadium Hattiesburg, MS	FSN	L 0–33	20,091	^[4]
November 22		Tulane	Houston Astrodome Houston, TX	FSN	L 10–44	11,618	^[5]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

^[6]

References

1 2 "Alabama Football 1997 Media Guide". p. 88. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
↑ "Tide's DuBose era off and throwing". The Anniston Star. August 31, 1997. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Pirates corral Cougars". Rocky Mount Telegram. November 9, 1997. Retrieved March 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Southern Miss secures Liberty bid". The Commercial Appeal. November 16, 1997. Retrieved September 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "King catapults Tulane to demolition of Houston". The Daily Advertiser. November 23, 1997. Retrieved February 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
↑ "1997 Houston Cougars Schedule and Results".

This college football 1997 season article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

[Alabama_1997-1] 1 2 "Alabama Football 1997 Media Guide". p. 88. Retrieved January 22, 2026.

[2] "Tide's DuBose era off and throwing". The Anniston Star. August 31, 1997. Retrieved February 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[3] "Pirates corral Cougars". Rocky Mount Telegram. November 9, 1997. Retrieved March 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

[4] "Southern Miss secures Liberty bid". The Commercial Appeal. November 16, 1997. Retrieved September 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

[5] "King catapults Tulane to demolition of Houston". The Daily Advertiser. November 23, 1997. Retrieved February 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

[6] "1997 Houston Cougars Schedule and Results".

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